The artist's guide to painting water in watercolor : 30 techniques

146 Pages·2015·16.008 MB·English

by  Hazell, Ron

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Art Techniques/Watercolor
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The secret to convincingly painting water is
understanding why water appears as it does—it’s n 1111 sstteepp--bbyy--sstteepp ddeemmoonnssttrraattiioonnss
all about the refl ections! In this comprehensive ffoorr ppaaiinnttiinngg ppuuddddlleess,,
book showcasing water in all its natural states, you’ll ssttrreeaammss,, rriivveerrss,, rraaggiinngg 30
learn how wind aff ects water as it goes from a dead calm oocceeaannss,, ssnnooww aanndd mmoorree.. T
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to gale force winds. As you learn to use the refl ections in C
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the water to identify the perspective of the objects, you’ll
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be able to move away from reference images and paint I
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the water scenes you see in your imagination.
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With the expert instruction of renowned watercolor n MMoorree tthhaann 3300 tteecchhnniiqquueess ffoorr S
artist Ron Hazell, you’ll fi nd success as you paint water ccrreeaattiinngg aaccccuurraattee sshhaaddoowwss
in every imaginable condition. From glittering lakes to aanndd lliigghhtt,, rreeflfl eeccttiioonnss ooff
calm harbor shores to foamy surf and turbulent waterfalls oobbjjeeccttss aanndd wwaavvee ttyyppeess..
and rainy city streets to snow covered lawns and frozen
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ponds, you’ll find the inspiration and techniques to
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guide you on a water-fi lled watercolor journey.
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US $26.99 L
T2652 (CAN $29.99) L
ISBN-13: 978-1-4403-3725-3
ISBN-10: 1-4403-3725-X
52699
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artistsnetwork.com
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T H E A R T I S T ’ S G U I D E T O
PAINTING WATER
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T H E A R T I S T ’ S G U I D E T O
PA I N T I N G WAT E R
watercolor
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30 TECHNIQUES
RON HAZELL, CSPWC, SCA
Cincinnati, Ohio
ArtistsNetwork.com
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CONTENTS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 6
Watercolor Painting Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Painting Waves Breaking on Shore . . . . . . . . . 75
11..11 B Brruusshheess 66..11 A Annaattoommyy ooff aa BBrreeaakkiinngg WWaavvee
11..22 P Paappeerr 66..22 H Hooww ttoo PPaaiinntt aa BBrreeaakkiinngg WWaavvee
11..33 P Piiggmmeennttss 66..33 H Hooww ttoo PPaaiinntt RRoocckkss iinn WWaatteerr
11..44 T Trraannssppaarreennccyy aanndd SSttaaiinniinngg TTeesstt 66..44 V Vaalluuee aanndd CCoolloorr ooff SSuurrff aanndd FFooaamm
11..55 P Paalleetttteess 66..55 H Hooww ttoo PPaaiinntt SSuurrff aanndd FFooaamm
11..66 A Addddiittiioonnaall TToooollss ooff tthhee TTrraaddee 66..66 P Paaiinnttiinngg DDeemmoonnssttrraattiioonn
ooff WWaavveess BBrreeaakkiinngg oonn SShhoorree
CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 7
Introduction to Painting Water . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Painting Open Ocean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
22..11 U Unnddeerrssttaannddiinngg tthhee VVaalluuee ooff WWaatteerr 77..11 A Annaattoommyy ooff WWaavveess iinn tthhee OOppeenn OOcceeaann
22..22 U Unnddeerrssttaannddiinngg tthhee CCoolloorr ooff WWaatteerr 77..22 V Vaalluuee aanndd CCoolloorr ooff OOcceeaann WWaavveess
22..33 S Seeaa SSttaattee 77..33 P Peerrssppeeccttiivvee ooff OOcceeaann WWaavveess
22..44 P Paaiinnttiinngg WWeett--iinn--WWeett 77..44 H Hooww ttoo PPaaiinntt OOcceeaann WWaavveess
22..55 V Vaalluuee SSttuuddiieess 77..55 P Paaiinnttiinngg DDeemmoonnssttrraattiioonn ooff OOppeenn OOcceeaann
CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 8
Painting Calm Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Painting Rivers and Waterfalls . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
33..11 F Fuunnddaammeennttaallss ooff RReeflfl eeccttiioonnss 88..11 V Vaalluuee aanndd CCoolloorr ooff FFlloowwiinngg WWaatteerr
33..22 R Reeflfl eeccttiioonnss ooff PPoossttss iinn CCaallmm WWaatteerr 88..22 H Hooww ttoo PPaaiinntt WWaatteerrffaallllss
33..33 U Unnddeerrssttaannddiinngg tthhee VVaalluuee ooff RReeflfl eecctteedd 88..33 P Paaiinnttiinngg DDeemmoonnssttrraattiioonn ooff RRiivveerr wwiitthh
OObbjjeeccttss WWaatteerrffaallll
33..44 U Unnddeerrssttaannddiinngg tthhee CCoolloorr ooff RReeflfl eecctteedd
OObbjjeeccttss
CHAPTER 9
33..55 P Peerrssppeeccttiivvee ooff RReeflfl eecctteedd OObbjjeeccttss
Painting Fog, Rain and Puddles . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
33..66 P Paaiinnttiinngg DDeemmoonnssttrraattiioonn ooff CCaallmm WWaatteerr
99..11 V Vaalluuee aanndd CCoolloorr ooff FFoogg
99..22 H Hooww ttoo PPaaiinntt FFoogg
CHAPTER 4 99..33 V Vaalluuee aanndd CCoolloorr ooff RRaaiinn
Painting Rippled Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 99..44 H Hooww ttoo PPaaiinntt PPuuddddlleess
44..11 H Hooww ttoo PPaaiinntt RRiipppplleedd WWaatteerr 99..55 P Paaiinnttiinngg DDeemmoonnssttrraattiioonn ooff RRaaiinn
44..22 P Peerrssppeeccttiivvee ooff RRiipppplleess
44..33 R Reeflfl eeccttiioonn ooff aa PPoosstt iinn RRiipppplleedd WWaatteerr
CHAPTER 10
44..44 P Paaiinnttiinngg DDeemmoonnssttrraattiioonn ooff RRiipppplleedd WWaatteerr
Painting Snow and Ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
44..55 P Paaiinnttiinngg BBrreeeezzee PPaatttteerrnnss
1100..11 V Vaalluuee aanndd CCoolloorr ooff SSnnooww
44..66 P Paaiinnttiinngg RRaannddoommllyy RRiipppplleedd WWaatteerr
1100..22 S Shhaaddoowwss oonn SSnnooww
1100..33 P Paaiinnttiinngg DDeemmoonnssttrraattiioonn ooff SSnnooww
CHAPTER 5 1100..44 V Vaalluuee aanndd CCoolloorr ooff IIccee
Painting Rough Water and Glitter . . . . . . . . . . 57 1100..55 P Paaiinnttiinngg DDeemmoonnssttrraattiioonn ooff IIccee
55..11 A Annaattoommyy ooff RRoouugghh WWaavveess
55..22 V Vaalluuee aanndd CCoolloorr ooff WWaavveess Dedication and Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . 140
55..33 P Paaiinnttiinngg DDeemmoonnssttrraattiioonn ooff RRoouugghh WWaatteerr About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
55..44 P Paaiinnttiinngg GGlliitttteerr Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
55..55 P Paaiinnttiinngg DDeemmoonnssttrraattiioonn ooff GGlliitttteerr
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WHAT YOU NEED
MATERIALS
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((664400ggssmm)) ccoolldd--pprreessss AArrcchheess ppaaiinntt bbrruusshheess:: 11⁄⁄--iinncchh ((1122mmmm)) ssmmaallll nnaattuurraall ssppoonnggee
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wwaatteerrccoolloorr ppaappeerr ppaaiinnttiinngg kknniiffee wwaatteerr ccoonnttaaiinneerr
eeaasseell ppaalleettttee
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PIGMENTS
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CCeerruulleeaann BBlluuee RRaaww SSiieennnnaa
A VENETIAN DOORWAY n Watercolor on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-press Arches n 17"" × 18"" (43cm × 46cm) n Collection of the artist
Visit ArtistsNetwork.com/water-in-watercolor for bonus demonstrations.
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INTRODUCTION
AS THE ENGLISH POET Samuel have also painted in watercolor for
Taylor Coleridge said in his Th e Rime of forty years and have taught painting
the Ancient Mariner, published in 1798, workshops for thirty-five. I would
“Water, water, everywhere . . . !” Water like to share with you what I have
covers 70 percent of the earth’s surface. learned by study, practice and by trial
Water is the only substance on earth and error. I do not claim to know
that occurs naturally in all three chemi- everything there is to know about
cal states, as vapor, liquid and solid. It transparent watercolor painting. But
is an essential ingredient for life. People I can give you the benefi t of my many
in general are attracted to water. It is a years of experience, both as a painter
very popular subject for both artists and and as a workshop instructor. I use the
patrons of the arts alike. phrase “How to Paint . . . ” in some
To paint water convincingly is a of the subtitles of the chapters. But
challenge for landscape artists. How there is usually more than one way
can we paint water convincingly? Th is to paint any subject, particularly in
book attempts to answer this question watercolor. I show you one or two ways
by explaining why water appears as it that I have found work well for me in
does. You will be guided by a step-by- each chapter. However, I encourage
step process showing you how to paint you to experiment with other ways
calm water, rough water, crashing waves of tackling painting water as well. I
on the shore, open ocean, rivers, water- believe that watercolor painting is
falls, rain, fog, snow and ice. However, one of the more difficult mediums,
before you can paint anything well, you because it is a transparent medium.
have to be able to see as an artist. By that Th at means every brushstroke shows
I mean you must understand what you in the final painting. You cannot
are observing. You must ask the ques- easily hide “corrections” from your
tions, why does what I am “seeing” look viewers. Watercolor artists must be
that way? What is its shape, its value or very disciplined, very patient and very
tone, and what is its color? Once you persistent to master this medium. It
understand what you are seeing, and means that if a painting does not work
once you understand why something as you had hoped, then you must
appears as it does, then you can paint it fi gure out why and redo the painting
with confi dence. In other words, as an to get it right. But when a watercolor own experience has been that paintings
artist you have to develop your powers painting works, there is nothing like it completed on-site are quite different
of observation. Like any skill, becom- to boost your confi dence and satisfy from those I paint in my studio. Th e
ing profi cient at drawing or painting that hunger to produce art. on-site paintings are looser and contain
takes time. It is my view that painting For the purposes of this book, I less detail. If you want to be a represen-
is drawing. In painting, our drawing assume that you are, or would like to be, tational landscape artist, then painting
tools are brushes and pigments. Formal a representational painter, as opposed to on-site, or plein air, at least from time to
instruction can accelerate your drawing an abstract painter. In other words, you time, is extremely helpful. I get my best
development by reducing the trial and want your viewers to recognize what ideas when painting on-site. However,
error periods. Th e more you practice, you paint. Most artists are represen- I do my best work from a technique
the quicker you will hone your skills. tational studio painters. Few are plein point of view in my studio, where I
We paint what we know. I have air painters. One type of painter is not have full control over my environ-
lived by the water all of my life. I better than the other, just diff erent. My ment, fewer distractions and no need
6 Sign up for the free newsletter at ArtistsNetwork.com/Newsletter_Thanks.
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PORT DUFFERIN n WWaatteerrccoolloorr oonn 330000--llbb.. ((664400ggssmm)) ccoolldd--pprreessss AArrcchheess n 1111"" ×× 1155"" ((2288ccmm ×× 3388ccmm)) n CCoolllleeccttiioonn:: pprriivvaattee
to set up before painting and pack up painted convincingly in a simple and and temperature of shapes observed in
after painting. straightforward manner. I will make the distance. Water is present every-
Rendering water is a challenge every eff ort to simplify painting water where. It is the essence and giver of life.
for many reasons. It is often “a for you, whether you are a beginner or As you are probably aware,
moving target.” After explaining the an experienced painter. watercolor is a technique-intensive
“Fundamentals of Refl ections” (section Water comes in all sizes, values, medium. Th e more you practice, the
3.1), this book will take you from calm textures, shapes and colors. Water is fresher your paintings will become,
water through to the open ocean as the always suspended in the air as vapor, and as a result, they will sing with light.
wind increases. Th e focus of this book a measure of humidity. When the I hope this book will help you to move
is to explain why water appears as it humidity approaches 100 percent, the in the direction that you are seeking,
does under various wind conditions, result is rain and/or fog and even snow. and I wish you all the best in achieving
and then to demonstrate how it can be Th e suspended water aff ects the color your artistic goals.
Visit ArtistsNetwork.com/water-in-watercolor for bonus demonstrations. 7
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SAN GIORGIO MAGGIORE n WWaatteerrccoolloorr oonn 330000--llbb.. ((664400ggssmm)) ccoolldd--pprreessss AArrcchheess n 1111"" ×× 1155"" ((2288ccmm ×× 3388ccmm)) n CCoolllleeccttiioonn:: PPeetteerr aanndd LLaauurraa BBuuttlleerr,, HHaalliiffaaxx
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1
Watercolor
Painting
Materials
THE MEDIUM OF TRANSPARENT watercolor is an ideal medium
for painting water. In nature, light refl ects off water, as it does off
the surface of the watercolor paper. To render water convincingly, an
artist must not only strive to paint well, but must become intimately
familiar with his or her tools, as any master craftsman must. Th e
essential tools of watercolor painting are brushes, pigments and
paper. Th is chapter comments on all three, as well as other tools of
the trade. Th ere are no special tools for painting water. Th e order of
the day is to buy the best materials you can aff ord. A good quality
brush will last a lifetime, but it may cause some hesitation because
of the price. My materials, including my brushes, are not overly
expensive but are of good quality.
What materials are best for you, your painting technique, your
temperament and so on, can only be discovered by experimenting
with the many products that are on the market. Gradually, you will
narrow your choice of brushes, pigments and paper as you become
more experienced. Hopefully this chapter will move this process
forward more quickly.
Watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-press Arches 11" × 15" (28cm × 38cm) Collection: Peter and Laura Butler, Halifax
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